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‘We’re in the game’: Inside how Auburn marching band landed in EA Sports College Football 26

On a late October night, two years ago inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. No. 11 Ole Miss led Auburn football 14-7 at halftime of a week 7 conference showdown.

As both teams headed to the locker rooms, the stage was set for Auburn’s Marching Band to perform a musical selection like they do on a weekly basis.

However, this was no ordinary performance.

Auburn’s Band put on its Metallica show, performing hit songs from the iconic heavy metal band.

The cinematic performance touched rock and roll fans all across Jordan-Hare that night. But what followed afterwards changed Auburn’s band forever, winning the 2023 Metallica Marching Band contest.

“Metallica advertised a marching band a marching band contest in the summer of 2023. I saw the advertisement and talked to some our student leaders about the potential of our band entering the contest,” Auburn band Director Dr. Corey Spurlin told AL.com Tuesday.

“We felt like we had really good music arrangers and a lighting system that our students built,” Dr. Spurlin added. “That is really unique because no other band in the country has a system that has the capability of ours. Combining the lighting effects with precision drill and great music we had a chance to win.”

Dr. Spurlin spoke about watching a number of Metallica concerts leading up to the Ole Miss game when crafting Auburn’s show.

“Knowing that we had a lighting system we’re known for using we wanted to incorporate lighting effects into the show,” Dr. Spurlin said. “We looked at a few of the effects Metallica created in their actual concerts and how we can bring those same effects to life on the marching band field. We were able to incorporate that with the things we came up with as a band.”

Auburn’s Metallica show reached EA sports president of music Steve Schneider and offered Auburn to record the video game’s theme song.

The Tigers will be the first school to have its marching band featured in the EA Sports College Football video game. The musical selection will be displayed on the opening screen of the game.

“We were super excited to record that video game theme. The recording took place in early December which was our last week of classes,” Dr. Spurlin said.

“It gave us something to work towards kind of like a final project and last performance for the 2024 season.”

EA Sports brought in all of its musical personnel to Auburn to help in the recording process. Dr. Spurlin emphasized how the band stepped up to the plate when surrounded by some of the biggest music professionals in the business.

“I could tell how excited they were by the effort and energy through the rehearsals, and I thought they played great,” Dr. Spurlin said. “It was fun having all the various of entities from EA Sports music in town. Experiencing a professional recording environment, the recording engineers that came in were some of the best and we had them here recording our band.”

“Our band was also able to speak and interact with the producer of the game and ask questions about the game, and how it’s made.”

EA College Football 26 is scheduled to release July 10th on all gaming platforms.

With Auburn already changing the marching band landscape with its lighting system, Dr. Spurlin believes being a part of something as big as EA sports will only add to the greatness of Auburn’s marching band.

“I feel like we were sort of pioneers in that area in a lot of ways and now this add something else that we are doing,” Dr. Spurlin added.

“It’s kind of first for collegiate marching bands and something others can look towards. I’m really proud of our students for rising to a level that would pique the interest of a company as big as EA and certainly the trust they put into us. I mean, this is a major game, one of the top selling video games of all time. And for us that’s major. As they say you know, we’re in the game!”

Jerry Humphrey III covers Auburn sports forAL.com. You can follow him on X at @Jerryhump3or email him at [email protected].

General

Trump official’s spokeswoman says this country is better than America: ‘She should be fired’

A State Department spokeswoman is taking heat from MAGA, including some calling for her firing, after she told an Israeli television station that the United States is the “greatest country on Earth next to Israel.”

Tammy Bruce’s interview with Israeli station i24 News occurred last month, but she’s facing criticism after social media influencer Ken Klippenstein over the weekend posted a snippet of Bruce’s appearance.

“The pride of being able to be here [in the State Department] and do the work that facilitates making things better for people, and in the greatest country on Earth, next to Israel,” she said.

“It’s an honor to be able to make a difference and be able to speak in this regard with an administration that I love so much and that I feel genuinely represented by — it’s a real honor.”

MAGA’s knives came out for Bruce.

“She should be fired immediately,” one X user responded to Klippenstein’s post.

Gunther Eagleman, a right-wing social media influencer account on X, said: “America is the best country. Point blank. I’d tag Tammy Bruce but she has me blocked.”

“Next to Israel”? Did I miss the part where Americans voted to be second place in our own country?” tweeted Jane Adams. “Embarrassing.”

Bruce told Newsweek that her remark was being misinterpreted.

“My work obviously speaks for itself, which is a reflection of my love for the United States, as I said in that interview, the greatest country on Earth,” she told the outlet in a statement.

“The assertion by certain anonymous users online is a typically out-of-context and absurd effort to create fake news for clicks and to smear.”

General

Alabama voters can’t afford to miss these critical dates for the 2025 municipal elections

The deadline to qualify to run in a municipal election is today – June 24 at 5 p.m., but with Alabama’s municipal elections approaching, there are several key dates to keep in mind.

In the upcoming general municipal elections, community members will head to the polls to elect their next mayor, council members and other local representatives in just a couple of months.

The Alabama League of Municipalities’ created a 2025 election guide with important dates and information for both community members and candidates.

On Aug. 26, 2024, exactly a year before the municipal election, candidates began receiving campaign contributions and campaigning for office.

Feb 26 was the last day for the sitting council to change the salaries for officials who will be elected in August.

March 31 was the last day for councils elected at large to number the places. Some municipalities, like Hoover, are not split into districts, so the city council is elected at large, which means all council members represent the entirety of the city.

May 26 was the last day for the council to change its district lines and location of designated voting places or add an additional voting place.

On June 10 candidates began qualifying, with that window closing June 24 at 5 p.m.

Aug. 11 is the last day to register to vote in the municipal election.

Aug. 25 is the last day for a voter to apply for an emergency absentee ballot.

The municipal elections will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 26. All polling places will be open for voting from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. An absentee ballot returned by mail must be received by noon on the day of the election.

If no candidate receives a majority of votes, runoff elections will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 23.

Elected candidates will officially take office on Monday, Nov. 3.

Not all municipalities follow the same election cycle. Tuscaloosa held its elections on March 4 with a runoff on April 1. Huntsville and Scottsboro conducted their municipal elections on Aug. 27, 2024, according to published reports.

Check your city’s website for more information regarding your local elections, including candidates, polling locations and what issues will be on the ballot.

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Closing the healthcare gap in Alabama and the South: op-ed

‭This is a guest opinion column

Healthcare isn’t a luxury. It’s the thread that holds families and communities together. But across the American South, that thread is unravelling.

While some Southern states have expanded Medicaid, this coverage is increasingly precarious. Twelve states, including North Carolina, have enacted “trigger laws” that would automatically end or alter Medicaid expansion if the federal match rate drops below 90%. This means that even in states where expansion has occurred, access to care is not guaranteed.

The consequences are already visible: closed hospitals, overrun clinics, and hundreds of thousands of uninsured individuals left in limbo.

By shifting the focus to proposed Medicaid cuts and work requirements, millions may soon be denied timely care or trapped in red tape that delays it until it’s too late. That’s exactly what happened to Jenny and her sister Beth.

Jenny, an Alabama visual artist, watched as Beth fell seriously ill and tried to get help. But the system failed her. Her story is a warning of what’s to come if these policies move forward.

The Human Cost of Medicaid Inaction

Beth’s illness didn’t start as a death sentence.

She applied for Medicaid when her symptoms first emerged, but her application sat for months. Her appointments were cancelled. The system stalled. And the tumour growing inside her didn’t.

By the time her Medicaid application was finally approved, her condition had progressed to late-stage cancer. It was too late. Beth died not just from illness, but from abandonment.

Today, Jenny earns $11,000 a year while caring for her grandmother, disabled father, and grieving nephew—juggling jobs, teaching art, and trading services just to get by.

Poverty, pride, and policy failure

In the South, some working-class families see asking for help as failure. But even when they do, support is scarce.

In Jenny’s town, just 40 residents get Meals on Wheels. “You basically have to wait for someone to die to get a slot,” she says.

The programs exist, but they’re out of reach. This sends a cruel message: care is conditional, not guaranteed.

A Crisis Worsened by Policy Denial and Misdirection

Alabama has refused federal funds that would cover 90% of Medicaid expansion costs—at the expense of 190+ rural hospital closures and countless missed opportunities for essential care. And if those federal funds are cut, Alabama is even less likely to expand coverage.

Even in states that did expand—like Arkansas, North Carolina, and Virginia—coverage remains fragile. All three have “trigger laws” in place that would end or reduce Medicaid expansion if federal support drops, putting thousands at risk of losing care.

Even the working poor aren’t spared. Jenny’s nephews are employed but fall in the gap; they make too much for Medicaid but too little for private insurance. So, they go without care because the system refuses to meet them halfway.

Instead of expanding coverage, Republican lawmakers are pushing to restrict it further. Up to 7 million adults could lose Medicaid if federal work requirements and direct funding cuts included in the House-passed budget bill are signed into law. In Arkansas, thousands already lost coverage not for lack of work, but because the paperwork was too complex. Over 90% were already eligible but trapped in red tape.

“I have to count every dollar to meet ACA minimums just so I can get my eyes checked,” Jenny shares.

These policies reflect a harmful belief: that paid work is more valuable than unpaid caregiving. That belief—rooted in racism and sexism—forces families like Jenny’s to ration care in a system that decides who deserves help.

Reclaiming Dignity Through Story, Art, and Solidarity

When systems fail, we turn to what we have. For Jenny, that means using art to document loss, express resistance, and build awareness.

“Visual art brings a new kind of awareness,” she says. It does what policy briefs often can’t: it humanises the crisis.

As public systems retreat, the burden of care falls to communities. “If you’re not part of a religious community, you’re on your own,” Jenny says.

At MDC, we step into the gaps left by the government and help people question unjust systems—like healthcare—and imagine what’s possible instead. We support communities in building shared visions, equipping advocates to push for policy change, and reminding nonprofits of their vital role in civic life. Through State of the South convenings, we use art and storytelling to bring the human impact of inequity into full view.

Resistance is growing in the South. Across states like North Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi, communities are organizing for healthcare justice.

In North Carolina, years of coalition-building led to Medicaid expansion. In Georgia and Mississippi, campaigns like Cover Georgia and Care4Mississippi are organizing advocates, healthcare workers, and business leaders to make the moral and economic case for change.

These aren’t isolated efforts—they’re part of a broader Southern movement led by those closest to the pain and the possibilities. Groups like Alabama Arise show what’s possible when community voices are at the center.

The powerful and wealthy in our region may be scrambling to stay in power, but Southern communities are stepping forward and will continue the fight to be heard.

The Path Forward: Expand Access, Invest in Belonging

We know what needs to be done.

Expand Medicaid now to cover 340,000+ Alabamians.
Reject federal work requirements.
Invest in care navigation and community-based support.
Amplify Southern art and stories that ground and inspire the struggle for change.

Jenny says it best: “All bodies are worthy of dignity. All bodies require care.” If we truly believe in protecting and amplifying the voices of the vulnerable, we must act. This isn’t about partisanship. It’s about whether we treat people like they matter.

Do we honor life? Or do we hoard care like a commodity?

Let’s build a South where no one is left behind. Where care is a right, not a reward.

Cate Elander is Director of State of the South at MDC, where she curates storytelling experiences connecting personal narratives with policy change. As a quilter and printmaker, she believes deeply in the power of art to bring people together and spark change.

General

DNA leads to arrest in 2024 Homewood rape, police say

A 28-year-old man has been charged in a 2024 rape in Homewood.

Jelani Adom Gooden, who lives in Lee County, was arrested Tuesday morning by Homewood police and the U.S. Marshals’ Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force.

Gooden is charged with first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, first-degree sexual abuse and third-degree assault.

The investigation began Nov. 26 when Homewood police took a report on the alleged rape, which happened in the 10 block of Aspen Court.

“Through further investigative work, detectives were able to confirm the suspect’s involvement using DNA evidence,” said Sgt. Mark Trippe.

Homewood detectives were able to issue arrest warrants for the suspect; however, he fled the area before he could be taken into custody.

Gooden was arrested in the Birmingham area. He will be held without bond in the Jefferson County Jail.

Trippe so no additional details are being released to protect the victim’s identity.

General

Victim identified in fatal south Alabama stabbing

Mobile police have identified the man killed in a Monday morning stabbing.

At approximately 4:30 a.m., officers responded to a stabbing in the 300 block of Gaston Street, according to a previous release.

Upon arrival, officers discovered Reginald Allen, 47, with life-threatening injuries.

He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Upon further investigation, officers discovered the victim, and another male were involved in an altercation prior to the incident, the release says.

This remains an active investigation, police said today.

Anyone who has information that could assist in the investigation of this case has been urged to contact the Mobile Police Department at 251-208-7211 or submit an anonymous tip by texting 844-251-0644 or by visiting mobilepd.org/crimetip.

General

Birmingham passes record $591 million budget, despite concerns from council

The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved Mayor Randall Woodfin’s $591 million budget, despite some concerns.

Birmingham council member Valerie Abbott threatened to delay a vote over her concerns that the city isn’t enforcing its housing codes.

Council member Hunter Williams said he has concerns about increased funding for public transit when the results have been disappointing.

The Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority receives $11 million in general city funding, plus $3 million for Birmingham Xpress Bus Rapid Transit, plus $2.5 million for the Birmingham on Demand Powered by VIA ride service.

But Williams noted that bus reliability is only 58 percent.

“It’s effectively useless,” Williams said. “We just have to have something better.”

In his eight years on the council, city funding of public transit has doubled, while service remains unreliable for getting to jobs and doctor’s appointments on time, he said.

“There is a lot of room to improve,” council member Clinton Woods said.

“We’re talking about people’s livelihood,” said council member Crystal Smitherman.

Council member Carol Clarke said she wants the council to receive more updates on the budget throughout the year, such as quarterly budget data and analysis.

After the discussion, Abbott relented and asked for the vote to go forward.

The fiscal 2026 budget goes into effect on July 1. Woodfin had set neighborhood revitalization, street resurfacing, effective public safety strategy, recruiting more police, and investing in youth as top priorities.

“I want to thank the council for their consideration and support of this budget plan,” Woodfin said. “Our shared priorities of neighborhood revitalization and public safety are supported by this budget. We will continue to invest in neighborhoods to resurface streets, invest in sidewalks, traffic calming, and blight removal.”

Woodfin’s spending plan includes an increase in neighborhood revitalization to $21.8 million. The budget includes another $15 million commitment for street resurfacing. Since the 2019 fiscal year budget, the city has spent more than $100 million on street resurfacing in the city with additional support from the American Rescue Plan Act.

The budget includes the $16 million police recruitment and retention program approved in October, along with a commitment to increase the number of police vehicles with a $6 million investment in updating the fleet.

Community Violence intervention programs will receive $1.5 million to support ongoing initiatives.

The budget and additional information can be viewed at www.birminghamal.gov/2026budget.

Budget At a Glance

Neighborhood Revitalization

Street paving: $15 million
Weed abatement: $3 million (up $250,000)
Demolition: $2 million (up $500,000)
Sidewalks: $1 million
Traffic calming: $500,000
Recycling: $300,000

Public Safety and Violence Reduction

Police vehicles: $1 million (part of $6 million rolling stock investment)
Park and Recreation Safe Haven Initiative: $625,000 (up $125,000)
Park and Recreation Birmingham Youth Sports League: $500,000 (new funding)
RESTORE Youth Re-entry Initiative: $450,000 (up $225,000)
Additional Community Violence Intervention: $1.5 million
- Budget provides additional support for programs currently supported by ARPA funding and additional grants.
  - NICJR/Gun Violence Reduction Strategy
  - IRSA/One Hood: citywide initiative
  - OAA/Hospital-linked violence intervention expansion into emergency department
  - TCS/Street Teams: designated zones
  - Live Free: training

Youth Investments

Birmingham Promise for BCS students: $2 million
Birmingham City Schools: $1 million
Financial Literacy Curriculum in BCS: $1 million
Small Magic Early Childhood Education: $250,000
Park and Recreation Safe Haven Initiative: $625,000 (up $125,000)
Park and Recreation Birmingham Youth Sports League: $500,000 (new funding)
Kids and Jobs: $210,00
Ad valorem tax revenue from the City of Birmingham provided $86,699,395 to Birmingham City Schools this year.

Homelessness

Services for the unhoused: $1.5 million (new funding)
Community Development Block Grants: $800,000 (estimated, annually)

Public Transportation

Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority: $11 million
Birmingham Xpress Bus Rapid Transit: $3 million
Birmingham on Demand Powered by VIA: $2.5 million

City Employees

1% cost of living adjustment for all employees: $4.225 million
5% merit pay for eligible employees: $3.9 million
Longevity pay for eligible employees: $1 million
The city covers all healthcare benefit increases for city employees to prevent new out-of-pocket costs: $3.6 million
City contribution to pension fund: $40 million (estimated pending actuary’s report)

General

Alabama woman says DHS claim about detained husband’s Iranian army service is fake news: ‘He fought ISIS’

The wife of a man detained by ICE in Alabama is refuting claims the Department of Homeland Security made Tuesday that his military past in Iran was justification for his arrest.

DHS issued a press release Tuesday stating it arrested 11 people originally from Iran over the weekend who officials claimed “were terrorists or violent extremists.”

“We have been saying we are getting the worst of the worst out — and we are. We don’t wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump’s mandate to secure the homeland,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

Ribvar Karimi was identified as one of the individuals detained after he was taken into custody on Sunday in Locust Fork. The DHS press release incorrectly identified the location as “Locust, Alabama.”

“Criminal illegal aliens arrested include an individual with admitted ties to Hezbollah, a known or suspected terrorist, and an alleged former sniper for the Iranian army,” the release stated.

DHS states that Ribvar served as a military sniper for the Iranian Army from 2018 to 2021 and at the time of his arrest had an Islamic Republic of Iran Army identification card.

“He entered the U.S. on a K-1 visa, which is reserved for aliens engaged to be married to American citizens, in October 2024 under the Biden administration. Karimi never adjusted his status — a legal requirement — and is removable from the United States. He’s currently in ICE custody, where he’ll remain pending removal proceedings,” the release stated.

Ribvar was detained months after he married his wife, Morgan Karimi, who is now weeks away from the birth of their child.

“I just wish that, if I could get anything out there about Ribvar, it would be that he loves our country,” Morgan said in a Facebook video in response to the DHS claims.

“He’s not a terrorist. He did do military service. He was a sniper. He did serve two years during this time. What they’re not telling anybody is he himself fought ISIS he never fought an American soldier.”

In a Facebook post Tuesday, Morgan Karimi says the talking points about his former military career are “exaggerated and far from the truth.”

In the video, Morgan said she and Ribvar voluntarily gave ICE his Iranian army identification card.

“Just to clear the fake news being from Iran, you are required to serve 2 years mandatory or you can’t get a passport to leave,” Morgan said. “All of this was turned into immigration during his visa process AND he passed a background check. This was NEVER hidden from anyone! I have all of the documents proving this.”

Ribvar, she wrote, was allowed into the country after more than a year of background checks. “He fought ISIS himself,” she wrote.

Morgan, who is 31-weeks pregnant, is now fighting for her husband’s release.

The arrests came the same weekend that the U.S. bombed two of Iran‘s uranium enrichment plants, an escalation among the two countries.

General

South Dakota eager for Trump’s statue garden near Mount Rushmore despite local opposition

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Officials in South Dakota are pushing hard to build President Donald Trump ‘s proposed National Garden of American Heroes in the Black Hills near Mount Rushmore, but the effort has sparked a backlash from Indigenous groups who see the area as sacred.

A mining company has offered to donate 40 acres (16 hectares) less than a mile from Mount Rushmore, where massive sculptures of four of the nation’s most prominent presidents are carved out of granite.

“The Black Hills mark the perfect location to achieve your vision for the National Garden of American Heroes,” Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden wrote in a letter to Trump. “Together, we will make this project happen in a way that honors America’s heroes, takes advantage of South Dakota’s natural beauty, and incorporates the most iconic monument to our greatest leaders: Mount Rushmore National Memorial.”

But the Black Hills have long been the subject of disputes between South Dakota and its tribes. The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie recognized that the Black Hills belong to the Sioux people, but the U.S. government seized the land less than a decade later to mine for gold. A 1980 Supreme Court decision found that the U.S. violated the treaty, but the tribes refused the $1.3 billion in compensation they were offered and maintained their rights to the land.

Indigenous groups also oppose drilling project

The mining company, Pete Lien & Sons, also has had conflicts with Indigenous groups in the area, most recently because of an exploratory drilling project for graphite near the sacred Lakota site of Pe’ Sla. The company also is working with theme park designer Storyland Studios to build an attraction in the Black Hills opposed by some Indigenous groups.

“It’s absurd for Storyland Studios and Gov. Rhoden to claim they care about preserving history while they watch Lien & Sons attempt to destroy Pe’ Sla, and do nothing,” said Taylor Gunhammer, an organizer with the Indigenous advocacy group NDN Collective.

“They are the ones erasing and paving over history, not preserving it,” Gunhammer said.

Rhoden’s press secretary, Josie Harms, wrote in a statement that the garden “will have no disruption to either state or tribal land” because the tract of land is owned by Chuck Lien, owner of Lien & Sons, and his family.

Pete Lien & Sons did not respond to multiple requests from The Associated Press for comment.

Trump’s garden to feature 250 statues of historical figures

Trump signed an executive order earlier this year to build the garden, to feature 250 life-size statues of historical figures in honor of the country’s 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. Applications for sculptors are due in early July, though the administration no longer seeks to have it completed by next summer.

The U.S. House has approved $40 million for the project, which is being overseen by the Department of Interior and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Senate hasn’t yet approved the funding.

Trump first announced the project in his first term in a July 3, 2020, speech at Mount Rushmore at a time during the Black Lives Matter movement when some protesters were tearing down statues depicting Confederate generals and others.

“Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our Founders, deface our most sacred memorials, and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities,” Trump said in that speech. “But no, the American people are strong and proud, and they will not allow our country, and all of its values, history, and culture, to be taken from them.”

In a 2021 executive order, Trump called for statues depicting a range of prominent figures, from the likes of Amelia Earhart, Muhammad Ali and Steve Jobs to more controversial ones like Christopher Columbus and President Andrew Jackson. No site was selected, however, and the garden was never funded by Congress.

The Department of Interior said the revived garden project is still in the “planning and discussion phase” and declined to say which sites it is considering.

It’s unclear if any other states are seeking to host the statue garden.

As governor, Noem offered land for the garden

When Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was the state’s governor, she offered the mining company’s 40 acres of land in the Black Hills. Her successor, Rhoden, doubled down on that offer in his letter, emphasizing the site would be “in sight of Mount Rushmore.”

South Dakota Republican U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson also wrote a letter to Trump, and said he will “keep advocating for this iconic landmark to make its home in the Black Hills” in a social media post.

Darren Thompson, director of media relations for the Indigenous nonprofit Sacred Defense Fund, called for more discussions with Indigenous groups in the Black Hills.

“It’s a very touchy and sensitive subject that I think requires input by the local Indigenous people who have claim to the land and cultural ties to the land,” Thompson said.

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Brand-new Nike ‘Lights Out’ New York Mets collection just dropped with free shipping

As the 2025 MLB season nears its midpoint, the New York Mets remain one of the league’s most exciting teams. Sitting with a 46-32 record, the Mets are the fifth-best team in the league, even above the crosstown rival Yankees.

The Mets have been pumping out tons of new gear for players and fans recently. Whether it’s the Stars and Stripes collection or All-Star game apparel, Mets fans have plenty of options to choose from for new gear.

Throw another hat into the ring, as Nike and MLB debuted their ‘Lights Out’ collection, as each team gets an all-black look. The entire Mets collection can be viewed here.

Here’s some of the gear listed for the Mets ‘Lights Out’ collection:

All of the items above are eligible for free shipping with code “29SHIP” at checkout.